214 SPOLIA ZEYLANICA. 
Sub-order CORACI. 
Family Coractap”. 
The Rollers. 
The Rollers are birds mainly of brilliant plumage found 
throughout most parts of the Old World. In build and in the 
shape of the bill they resemble crows. The soles of the feet, 
however, are flat, and the three front toes more or less united 
at the base. The flight is buoyant, with vigorous flaps of the 
wings, and at intervals curious turnings and tumblings, which 
have given the birds their English name. The nest is placed in 
the hole of a decaying tree, and the eggs are white and glossy. 
Two genera are found in India: Coracias—the true Rollers, 
and Hurystomus—the Broad-billed Rollers. One species of 
each genus occurs in Ceylon. 
Rough Key to Ceylon Coraciade. 
A.—Plumage gay; bill twice as long as broad. Throat and 
fore-neck lilac with buff shaft-stripes. 
Coracias indica (The Indian Roller). 
B.—Plumage more sober; bill as broad as long. Throat 
and fore-neck washed with royal blue in adults. 
Eurystomus orientalis (The Broad-billed Roller). 
Coractas Inpica (Blanford, Vol. III., p. 103 ; 
Legge, p. 281). 
The Indian Roller. 
Description —A small patch above the nostrils sandy buff, 
at times tinged with violet ; crown and nape bluish-green, 
tinged above the eyes with turquoise-blue ; hind-neck and sides 
of neck brownish-lilac ; back, scapulars, and innermost wing 
quills dull greenish-brown ; lower back and tail coverts deep 
purple-blue, the former tinged with greenish-blue. Middle 
tail feathers dark dull green washed with purple-blue at the 
base ; rest of tail deep purple-blue with a broad band of 
turquoise-blue on the outer half. Innermost wing coverts 
deep purplish-blue, most of the remainder greenish-blue, the 
primary coverts, the tips of the secondary coverts, and the 
